November 26, 2018 out of all the fireflies we see, none of them are nice enough to take a break and let me catch them...

This week was a roller coaster again, so hold onto your seats, I'm gonna try and fit everything in that I can.

This week started off with a bang. We had ice cream for breakfast. We showed up at our zone meeting eating ice cream and it just got silent until one of the elders asked why we didn't invite them to eat ice cream with us. Made me laugh. This little random experience might not seem important, but it set the tone for our whole week. S Rodrigues and I spent the week working our tails off but having a lot of fun at the same time.

We went on two different splits this week. Luckily, they both came to our area, so it was good. My first splits was with a sister named S Ruiz. She is from Mexico. We went to talk to Alberi who was a little weirder than normal, crying and laughing and all that jazz when S Ruiz leaned over and said, I think hes drunk. Sure enough, I looked around the little place we were at and there was a beer can half full on the floor in the corner. Eita I was really upset. But at the same time, I was glad S Rodrigues wasn't there or she would have gone ballistic. We tried talking to him for a few more minutes, but that is when I learned that trying to teach the gospel to a drunk man is really hard, hahahah, but yeah. That was really the only interesting thing that happened on splits #1.

Splits #2 was with S Milhomen. She was my sister leader beforehand so it was really weird being the one in charge. Really, I'm 100% sure that she helped me a ton more than I helped her. We spent the day talking about how to show love for our companions and how to work effectively. And I listened to her talk about her comp who is the trouble sister of the mission. I think it helped both of us. But we were on splits during Thanksgiving (which doesn't exist here except for black Friday) and we bought all sorts of junk food to celebrate. It was nice of her to humor me and celebrate with me.

We also took the Venezuelan girl in our ward to help us with the Spanish speaking people we are teaching. I love going out with Camilla, she is such a sweetheart and she loves sharing the gospel. She will be the best missionary I know. I am so proud of all that she does. She told us that she doesn't feel like there is anybody proud of her because she doesn't know her mom and she is here with her aunt and uncle. She just started sobbing telling us that she wants to feel like somebody is proud of her. We just wrapped her up in a hug and spent a good chunk of time telling her that we are so proud of all that she is doing. Ah, she is so cute. I want to take her home with me. We also made her a cute little card because we´re sister missionaries and that is what we do, to tell her that we love her. And we asked her to help us at our baptism Sunday singing in Spanish.

On Friday, the elders came to our area to do baptismal interviews. Four baptismal interviews = four baptisms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Rafael got baptized on Saturday. I didn't think there was a better feeling than seeing your convert get the priesthood until I watched Amazonas baptize Rafael. I about cried. Amazonas is Rafa´s grandpa so it was only fitting that he should baptize him. 

Then on Sunday, Osimar, Kathryn and Oriannys were baptized!! The man who works at the hotel that Kathryn and Oriannys live is a member so we asked him to come and baptize them and he did it in Spanish and it was seriously awesome. I was insanely happy and they couldn't stop smiling. Ai, I love my job, hahaha.

Also, Juliano and Amazonas passed the sacrament this week which is just another awesome part of being a missionary. 

We were walking home the other day and it was really dark. The power went out so there weren't any lights on the road that we were walking. We were walking past a gas station and a man told us that the road we were walking was really dangerous without lights and we told him that we didn't have any other way to get home. He just kind of looked at us and then asked if he could give us a ride home. (sorry about this mom, it isn't a normal thing we do) but we said yes and he gave us a ride home. On the way, he told us that his name is Diego and that he has already met the missionaries and gone to church in a different part of town, which is why he felt like he could offer us a ride home. I think that is why we didn't feel worried about saying yes to his offer as well.

We also started teaching this man who just got out of prison. (sorry mom, today isn't a good day for you to be reading this, hahaha) I wont say why he was in prison, because it isn't important, but he told us that he has been looking in every place to feel like he has been forgiven and find peace and all the stuff that people want to feel after they have been in prison. So we asked him if he wanted a book that explained exactly what he needed to do. He said yes, and we explained the Book of Mormon to him. He got so happy and excited that he said he was going to go right home and start reading it. He didn't come to church though, not that I was too surprised. We´re gonna have to work with him a little bit to get him feeling comfortable enough to go to church.

Also, I have had the weirdest cravings for jello this week. I went and bought like 10 boxes and have been making it everyday. I think I'm going crazy, hahah.

Alright, I'm gonna try and send a bijillion pictures now. I love you guys like crazy and I miss you guys too. It was really weird not being there for Thanksgiving, but next year, I will be!

Have a good week!

Sister Heiner

These are all our egg sized house.

My comp convincing me to climb a tree.

Happy Thanksgiving hand turkey.

Irma Nara, Rafael, and Amazonas

Us with Rafa.

Oriannys, Kathryn, and Osimar.

Us with Camilla and Taisa. Camilla is by my side.

November 19, 2018

This week was insanely busy. I'm not even sure how we fit everything in that we did. We started the week by going to Porto Alegre for a doctors appointment. Not me, S Rodrigues. She's allergic to herself or something or other so she needs to use this cream stuff to get a rash to go away. Didn't really understand the explanation but she's better now. Then we were walking around Porto Alegre trying to find some store and we ended up getting really lost and the elders in the mission office had to send us an Uber to get us back to the rodoviaria. Woo! Mission adventures.

Then we went to Capao da Canoa the same day and did a family home evening with the sisters there and the sisters in Osorio. We took them to the beach to look for seashells and talked about how we need to be diligent looking in our area for the people Heavenly Father wants us to find. Then we went back to their house and read the talk One More Day from the conference in April and read our patriarchal blessings (by ourselves of course) and talked about the sacrifices we are willing to make to show Heavenly Father our commitment to Him. It was really cool, I loved watching the sisters receive their own revelations and see the light they had afterwards. Being a missionary is awesome.

The next day we were supposed to go on splits in Osorio but their zone leader asked us to stay in Capao and help the sisters there, so we had a quick little game change meeting with the sisters and it worked out fine. I worked with S Dominguez. She is from Mexico and the cutest little thing in the world. She is finishing her training, so I let her take the lead on everything and it was amazing to watch. I love how the newer missionaries are so excited all of the time. I don't know what happens to that the longer you are on you mission, but I am working hard to keep that excitement with me. She taught me a lot during the day. At the end, we bought ice cream and ate about half the bucket talking at night. We were going to share with the other sisters but they were fasting, so we ended up eating a lot more than necessary, haha.

The next day, the sisters from Osorio went to our house. I stayed with S Strahl which was awesome. We were talking about the comps we have and have had during the mission and a lot of the problems we have had are the same, so we got to talk a lot about self confidence and how we can trust more our companions and help them have that same trust in us. We had a ward activity that night and everybody was really confused as to why there were 4 sisters there and not just 2. It was pretty entertaining.

I was looking at the moon this week and noticed that it grows backwards to how it grow in the US, it's not important, just something I probably should have figured out before this week.

We had a zone conference on Friday that was really good. President talked about using our time wisely and figuring out what it is that our people need to hear to really be converted. He talked a lot about using the spirit. We went to lunch with him and Sister Jones which was really fun. I love talking to Sister Jones. She is so cute and she inspires me to be better. I love President and Sister Campos as well, but I am so glad that I get the chance to be here with President and Sister Jones too. I had an interview with President Jones and the second I sat down, he switched into English which I love. He treats us like he would treat his kids, and I love it. It's what I need, I think. At the end, he gave me a blessing and when he asked what my full name is, he just kinda chuckled and said, "Audrey Anne, I like that". It made me smile.

E Almeida gave me an inter jersey because I gave him a dollar. It made me laugh because a dollar is worth like 4 realis right now and the jersey is like 35-40. I asked him if he was serious and he told me that he doesn't want me cheering for Gremio so yes he is serious. Made me laugh.

I got moms letter with the Christmas countdown!! Everybody just death glared me when Elder Walters said I had a letter, hahahahah. I am the only one in the zone that gets a letter every time. E Gomez started teasing me saying that I was sad that I only got one letter this time and not 12. 

We went to talk to Juliano and he asked us to help him this next week ask his girlfriend to marry him. Which was funny because like 5 minutes before we got to his house, S Rodrigues and I were talking about how we were going to try and convince him to go on a mission, uh huh. Not anymore. They're going to get married April 6th (moms birthday!)

There was the primary program this week and it was really cute but not as entertaining as the ones back home. There was  nobody to make faces at either which was disappointing. Brenda was wearing her dads suit jacket the whole time though which made me think of always using dads after church in Oregon. Miss that.

We went to lunch after church and it wasn't ready yet, so I sat on the couch and totally fell asleep. When I woke up, S Rodrigues was on the other side asleep too, haha, its a good thing it was a young couples house so they understand...

We spent the day putting up Christmas decorations in our house. We found a Christmas tree in the bedroom that we use as an everything room so we put it up and found lights to put on it and it made me ridiculously happy. I know it hasn't passed Thanksgiving yet, but I am super excited for Christmas. Not that they really do anything special for it here, but I am excited to talk to you guys.

Anywhos, that's about it for this week.

I love you guys!!

Sister Heiner

Us on the beach! (look at my feet)

S Rodrigues with my camera.

We had fun with this dead fish.

We used my shoe to collect seashells.

Ready for bed but not sleeping because 

we ended up trying to make a human pyramid 

and take a picture of it, didn't work, hahahaha.

Ice cream with S Dominguez.

We couldn't take a picture by ourselves

 so E Gomez and S Rodrigues took a picture

 with me and E Almeida.

President and Sister Jones gave us and the elders

 a ride home and E Gomez got put in the trunk. 

Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 12, 2018 Lets all pray you get this email this week

The weeks here are just zooming which is crazy. S Rodrigues and I were talking about how in five months from tomorrow we are going to be on our way home. Which seriously is just crazy. 

This week, summer arrived. It is ridiculously hot all of the time. Like, I want to pass out on the side of the street hot, haha. I don't remember it being like this last year, and it will only get worse. I sent a picture of S Rodrigues pencil that is melting because of the heat and I want everybody to look at my hair in the love pictures. I have had many people ask me if I dyed it because it is turning really light.

We were taking a little rest from the heat this week sitting near a little grocery story and a man asked us to watch his phone and beer for a minute. We weren't getting ready to leave so we said yes, and he walked into the store. He walked out with a bottle of sprite and put it on our table and just sat back down without saying anything. We were both just like, waaaattttt.....???? He started laughing and said he had bought it for us. He started talking about his life, he's married, his wife was in the hospital with his new baby, she's got four other kids that he isn't the dad of, and a lot of other things. He told S Rodrigues that he likes to read and she gave him a Book of Mormon, every little pamphlet we had and told him that he could read it while he was waiting with his wife at the hospital for the next 10 days. I think it scared him a little bit, hahahah, it was a pretty big stack of things, but he accepted it and left. Sadly, he does not live in our area, but I have been grateful for the spriteman this whole week. I totally took that picture without him knowing, haha, oops..

Sara´s documents finally got here!! Which means we all took a field trip to downtown Canoas to go to the courthouse to figure out how she can get married. It is a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be. I mean, I've never gotten married myself, but I didn't think you needed all the documents and stuff as you do. Fabio, the husband, will be working all week so they cant start the process until Friday and then they have to wait 30 days. I wish there was a place like Vegas around here so they could get married in the hour and baptized the next day. 

We went on splits in Porto Alegre and it was HOT. I thought our area was hot. But no, Porto Alegre is three or four times hotter. The sisters had a zone conference in the morning so when we got there, we went to the institute to meet them. E Magno from Gramado was there!! I was really happy to see him again. He is doing well, except that he is having pain near his heart and the doctors cant figure out what's wrong. But he's happy! E Southwick was also there, which was fun to see him again. I got to meet the Elder he trained at the start of his mission. Don't ask me his name, I don't remember. When we walked in, President Jones asked what we were doing there because we aren't part of that zone, and I told him we were skipping class and he just started laughing.

Then I went on splits with Sister Bartels, and we talked a lot about doing the Lords will and getting out of the way so we can do so. I liked that a lot.

We went and talked to a woman who got baptized in 1972 and then went inactive. She told us a crazy life story that ended with a daughter getting killed because she married a drug dealer and then started badmouthing prophets. I was ready to just leave, but S Rodrigues wasn't ready to leave without saying her part. She went OFF about how prophets are real and how we need to respect the power of the Lord, and it was some pretty intense few minutes before she calmed down. Then Zyda tried to switch the subject and start talking about playing the accordion, so we got up and left. Mission adventures.

We met a man named Osimar this week that seriously is a chosen one. He said he knows everything we are saying is true, wants to come to church, and wants to be baptized in two weeks. Seriously, perfect. But there was a mix up about a ride to church yesterday and he didn't come to stake conference. But we went there and talked to him and he told us that he really did want to be there, but nobody went to pick him up, so ya know. Satan has to get in the way to show us who really will fight for the right. It'll all work out. I have learned a ton about the power of faith this last year.

We were talking to Amazonas' son and he told us that he wants to be baptized too. We asked him to pray to know if its the right choice, and he told us that he already did. But he has to get something or other removed from his neck and has an open wound and is scared to get it wet, but his mom told him that if he wants to get baptized, she can cover it so it wont get wet. Now we are just praying that he has the courage to get baptized and not wait. He was pretty excited when we told him that his dad can baptize him if he wants.

Our bishop reminds me a ton of dad. He talks like him, expresses himself like him, everything. It is really really weird, haha, makes me homesick yet feel at home at the same time.

I had a man come up to me at stake conference and tell me that I have the feel of an American. I asked him what that meant and he told me that it means I look rich. I just laughed and walked away because I didn't know how to respond.

Anywhos I think that is more or less all of the noteworthy stuff. I hope something was a little interesting at least.

I love you guys!!

Sister Heiner

Name tags in some flowers on the street because art.

Spriteman

Oriannys took some selfies on my camera.

With Oriannys.

With Sophia.

 Sophia too cool for school.

Fabis baby.

Birthday treats that a less active member gave us.

Selfie in the street.

My name tag with the church.

It was soooo hot that S Rodrigues

 pencil started to melt in her bag.

We found this love flower design 

walking in Porto Alegre.

November 5, 2018

This week was super fast. Like weeks are already really fast but this week went by a lot faster than usual. 

I'm gonna start off with our big miracle. So for the last two weeks, S Rodrigues and I have been praying our little behinds off that the husband of a member would decide he is ready to get baptized. Because he comes to church and helps with all the activities. Then last week he came to church in a suit and tie and we were like, 'op. something is about to happen here.' On Monday we got a phone call from the irma saying that her husband was ready to get baptized and wanted to know what they needed to do to make that happen and when it could happen. We both got so excited. I cried so hard, haha. I never happy cried at home but I swear, I happy cry 10 times more than I sad cry here on the mission. Anywhos, we told her that he could be baptized this Saturday, all he needed to do was listen to our lessons and live the commandments which he already does because he's married to a member. So this week we went into warp speed and taught all of the lessons in three days. BAM. Fastest baptism I have had my whole mission and probably will have my whole mission. The baptism itself was awesome because half of the ward came. Everybody was super happy and excited. He brought his kids that aren't members too and on Sunday, their oldest son came to church in a suit and tie and told us that its his turn. But he has some health issue where he has a tube in his neck so it'll be a month or so before he can get baptized. But still! We are going to baptize this whole family now! We went there last night to talk to Amazonas, and the son listened to everything and already told us that the week the tube comes off, he's ready. AH, I CRIED AGAIN, ahahah. 

We have a Venezuelan family that live in our ward and we picked up their daughter and took her out with us for a day. We went to all our Spanish speaking instigators, duh, and she just taught as though she has been a missionary her whole life. We put S Rodrigues' name tag on her and she introduced herself as a sister the whole day. It was really cute. She bore her testimony yesterday about how much she wants to serve a mission and we were both so happy, she's gonna kill it in the mission field.

We met a woman this week named Kathryn, which you pronounce Cat-r-inie. Strange language we speak here. She is a single mom and had her answer that the church was true in like 5 seconds. It was one of the most spiritual lessons I have had in a long time. And it was in Spanish. Why didn't I get called to a Spanish speaking mission, hahaha? We teach more in Spanish these days than in Portuguese. 

We were walking to lunch this week and we saw two birds attack a man, this story is for Luke. There was a baby bird in the middle of the street and the man was trying to save its life but the parents weren't very happy about it and started pooping on his head and dive bombing him. He just kept screaming, I AM TRYING TO SAVE YOUR CHILD. I laughed harder than I probably should have. 

Every time we go to visit the Venezuelans, all of the kids run up to us and give us a hug. It started with a boy named Diego. and now they all do it. I don't really know why, but I like it. Diego always holds on for dear life and I kiss the top of his head and he just smiles up at me. He's nine. I wish I could put him on a plane and send him home. I know mom and dad would love him.

Anywhos, that's all I got time for, I love you guys like crazy. I hope the week has gone well and that everybody is happy. And that Ben is alive. Its been a while since I've heard from him.

I love you guys!!

Sister Heiner 

Segue fotos do batismo.

Our bishop is on the right.

Everybody at the baptism.

Swings!

It was 35 degrees before noon this week!

under the tree.... under the tree... isn't that a music?

The time changed so we took pictures at

 6:30 and almost 8 at night and it was still sunny!!